Twist and Turns of Love
by Mrs.Tom Felton 1019
Summary: Serena Knight is a top-notch lawyer who is out to seek justice for her murdered father, but she is also looking for love. Can she find love in a man who may be connected with her father's death? Find out!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

Okay so this is my first fanfic and I'm really nervous about it but I will try to handle criticism because that's how writing works. Unfortunately, I was never really good at it so here goes nothing! I'm going to see how this chapter goes along and we'll see from there. Hope you enjoy!

It was a nice night out in New York City, the city that never sleeps. It was mid-Spring, so it was neither too hot nor too cold as people bustled around as they waited for the true New York City night life to start. Families were exploring the city with their children, tourists were taking pictures of everything, and there was a huge line for the new musical that had opened on Broadway. Amongst them, walked a lone figure, with her head held high and her heels clicking on the pavement from the power of her step.

Only 28 years old, Serena Adams was the most highly sought-after lawyer in the state; she closed trials like no one's business. She had started college at the age of 16 and graduated from Harvard Law School at the age of 24 as class Valedictorian, and then had opened her own practice two years ago after working at a prestigious firm. Yes, from where she stood, life was good.

Serena walked down the street, like she did every night, loving the feel of the breeze on her face. As she walked by, many men would stop walking and just gawk at her beauty but she didn't waste time on men who would stand around swallowing flies. Serena knew she was drop-dead gorgeous. Waist length blond hair tied into a bun, bright blue eyes that could pierce your soul, high cheek bones, a body that could only belong to a Victoria Secret's model, and legs that went on forever. Yes, Serena knew exactly the power she had on men. But Serena Adams wasn't a stereotypical blonde, she had brains and she didn't waste time on dating.

She walked into the apartment building and headed straight to the elevators. A bellhop greeted her, "Good evening Ms. Adams". "Hello Charlie, how are you doing this fine evening?" Serena asked. Charlie was a teenage boy who worked in the building, usually just taking people to whatever floor they requested. "I'm doing pretty good, I get off in a couple hours and cannot wait for my day off tomorrow to spend with my girlfriend" he said, excitement practically oozing out of him. He pressed the button for the penthouse floor; he'd known Ms. Adams long enough to know which floor she lived on. "That sounds like a lot of fun, I hope you have a good day tomorrow" Serena said as the elevator stopped at the penthouse and she got off. "Thanks Ms. Adams, have a good one" Charlie said with a smile as the elevator doors closed.

Serena opened the door to the penthouse and walked in. She kicked off her heels and sighed at the release of tension on her heel. She heard a meowing coming from the corner of her living room, making her smile as she turned on the apartment lights. Her cat Luna meowed and came out to greet her owner, rubbing her face all over Serena's legs. Serena picked up her cat and walked to the huge windows that overlooked the city. She couldn't help but feel that she was missing out on something, maybe just the feeling of being young and carefree. 'I really should take Mina's offer to go clubbing once in a while' she thought to herself.

Serena had never experienced what a normal young and free lifestyle meant because all she knew was how to work, because work leads to money and money leads to power. Her father had been a big time lawyer in California, he was the best that there had been. But he had made the mistake of taking on a case involving an underground drug lord, which had gotten him killed. Serena remembered the day that the police told her what had happened, ten years ago"

*Flashback*

_Serena had just gotten out from college for her Winter break. She had expected to see her mom and dad waiting to greet her at the door but instead a cop car was parked outside her house. Her initial reaction was that someone had broken into the house. She opened the door and walked into the living room, she found her mother inconsolably sobbing as a policeman talked to her and her aunt was holding her. "Mom?" she said, hesitantly. Mrs. Adams looked over at her daughter and burst out crying "Oh Serena!" she sobbed "Your father… he's…he's…" she couldn't finish her sentence as she reached for her daughter and broke down crying once again._

_Serena was shell-shocked. 'It can't be… Daddy…no this cannot be true' she thought. The policeman informed them of what had happened. Her father had been murdered but there were no suspects at the moment. Serena knew that he had been working on a top-priority case and wanted to know if maybe someone of the other team may have targeted him but the officer was unable to tell her. It was at that moment, she knew she wanted to become a lawyer. To bring her daddy to justice._

_*End Flashback*_

The case was never closed since they were never able to find any suspects. Serena shook herself out of the trance and came back to her senses. She put Luna down on the floor and walked to her kitchen. Along the way she pressed her answering machine. _You have 2 new messages. First new message:_ "Hey Serena, it's Mina! I just wanted to let you know that Raye and I are having a little get-together at our place later tonight, so you should totally drop by! There'll be a lot of gorgeous guys so dress like the sexy bitch you are! You better come, bye!" _End of message. Next new message: _"Hey Serena it's Seiya, I got the invite for Mina's party tonight and I was wondering if you wanted to go together. Call me back, bye" _End of messages. _'Oh Seiya, when will you give up' she thought. Seiya and she had dated when she had gotten out of Harvard. Mina had introduced them and they had hit it right off. However, two months into the relationship Serena had started to feel suffocated with his clinginess and need to be with her all the time. So she had broken it off and he never really got the memo that she wasn't interested anymore. As far as Seiya knew, they were on a break even though she corrected him constantly.

"You know what Luna, I really do need to get out there more. I'm gonna go, even if Seiya is there because quite honestly, he is everywhere" she said to her cat. She walked into her room and look into her closet. 'Hmm… what to wear, it's only a kickback' and then she saw the perfect outfit. She took a quick shower and tried her hair. She put on a black pencil skirt with a tight silk teal blouse that accented her eyes and had a deep V-neck but had some lace to cover up some of her cleavage. 'Sexy but not slutty' she thought as she looked in the mirror. She accessorized with some hoop earrings, tied her hair into a ponytail, and a nice sliver bracelet, and applied some light make up to accent her eyes . She completed the look with some 4-in slightly pointed-toed pumps that helped her give off that wave off sophistication and sexiness. She looked at the clock and noticed it was 9:45.

"How do I look, Luna?" she said as she twirled around. Luna gave a meow for approval. "Aww thanks love, your opinion means so much to me" Serena giggled as she reached for her nude Coach purse. "Gotta go Luna, don't stay up too late waiting for me!" she yelled back as she reached the door. She took the elevator down towards the garage and got into her Nissan 370Z and took off towards Mina's and Raye's house on the other side of town in the suburbs.

Serena tried to remember the last time she had actually gone out as she drove down the streets of New York. It was probably for Mina's birthday a couple months ago. That was the first time she had seen _him. _Serena shivered at the thought of the man who made HER want to stop and gawk. Darien Shields. "Ugh why am I thinking about that asshole. He was so rude to me last time I was him. I'm probably just sex deprived" Serena said. 'Yeah not having sex in more than year would qualify as sex deprived. None the less, I hope he is there so I can knock his socks off' she thought and smiled as she continued her drive to her friends' house.

Little did she know how right she was.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor moon or any of its characters.

Sorry for the long wait! I had finals to study for and those ended last week! I'll try to get more chapters out soon but no guarantees as I am taking summer school! Hope you like it!

Chapter 2

Serena pulled up to a huge house just outside of the city. Raye and Mina were sisters and they were the daughters of Raymond and Mindy Winston, moguls in the hotel industry. Raye took after her dad in his looks. He had his dark black-purple tinted hair and same color eyes where as Mina had taken after her mother with flowing blonde hair and bright light blue eyes. She and Serena almost look like twins except Serena's hair was lighter in skin and eyes were deeper in sisters had both gone to NYU, so their parents bought them a "mini-mansion", as Serena liked to say, while they were in school. Raye had decided to go to culinary school afterward and owned several restaurants in New York while Mina pursued theater and was currently in the Broadway show "Wicked" playing the role of Glinda. 'Mina did always have a bewitching quality about her. Must be how she gets so many men to fall at her feet' giggled Serena as she walked up the pathway to their front door. Since they decided to stay in New York, they continued living in their luxurious home, complete with maids and butlers.

Serena's old firm had thrown her a "Going Away" party at one of Raye's restaurants. That's where she had met Raye and the two had hit it off. They started hanging out and had gone to see one of the plays on Broadway where Raye had introduced her to Mina. After that it seemed like Serena was one of the sisters. Their parents had even taken a liking to her and were very impressed at how successful she was for her age, especially since she didn't have some of the privileges that their own daughters had had. Mina and Raye were both the same age as Serena, so they had a lot in common and loved spending time with each other, shopping, talking about boys, their latest conquests although Serena hadn't been a recent contributor in that area for a while.

She could hear soft music coming from the backyard area and it made Serena wonder exactly how many people Mina and Raye had invited. She knocked on the door and one of the maids let her into the house. She walked towards the living room where she was attacked. Mina threw herself at Serena "Sere! I cannot believe you're here! Oh my gosh girl don't you look bangin'!" she yelled out with a hint alcohol mixed in. Mina was wearing an ocean blue halter and back heels. Serena blushed and shook her head at Mina "Well look at you, drunk before I even got here. How many have you had?" she asked. "Oh come on Sere don't be a spoiled sport, I only had a few shots. Come on we need to get you to loosen up!" said Mina while dragging Serena over to the nearest table and filling two shot glasses with some Belvedere.

Little did Serena know, two midnight blue eyes had been watching her the minute she had walked in. They watched as the skirt clung to her body with every step she took and how her hips swayed from side-to-side. He paid extra attention to her chest where two beautiful mounds were begging to be freed from their confines. But what captivated him was her eyes which stood out and made him want to take her away and have his way with her. 'All in good time' he said mentally.

"Here Serena" she said handing one to Serena "Here's to our beauty and youth!" and both women swallowed the drink, which went down rather smooth. Mina whispered into Serena's ear "I know why you got all dressed up" she giggled "because he's been staring at you since you walked in the door. Go get 'em tiger!" yelling the last part as she wandered off to find more drinking mates.

Serena stood frozen where she stood. She didn't know whether she should turn around and look for him or to go on as if nothing mattered. She decided to do the latter. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging his presence. The last time she had met the man, he had tried all night long to get into her pants, but she hadn't let it happen. And she definitely wasn't going to let it happen this time. For some reason though, the thought of him pursuing her was exciting. To know such a handsome and intelligent man wanted her did wonders for her ego.

Darien Stone was another magnificent lawyer in town. She had been a great admirer of his work before she had met him and seen him for what he really was. He was a womanizer and only saw women as a means to satisfy his own needs. She had heard a rumor that he slept with most of his female clients too, which disgusted her to no end. None the less, he was her competitor and she had to be very wary of him because she knew he was very sly. He was also, unfortunately, Raye and Mina's cousin.

From what she knew, he was a Harvard alumni as well. He was Valedictorian for his class and graduated 4 years before Serena, so she never had the displeasure of running into him. But while there, she had heard of his flirtatious ways although his academic record was practically flawless. Serena though smugly smiled when she recalled that her record was totally flawless. He had been the same age as her to graduate and had started his own practice practically right out of Harvard. Probably because his father was very rich, but Serena wasn't sure what he did. Damien Shields was a very secretive man.

She wandered towards the kitchen area and heard a lot of people bustling about. She walked into the kitchen to see Raye and Lita preparing food with the assistance of the other maids. Lita was a head chef at one of Raye's restaurants and Lita was Raye's favorite that she always wanted Lita to cook for any occasions Raye had. They usually ended up working together because Raye liked to be in control of her own kitchen but was open to a partnership with Lita in her home. That was how Serena had come to meet Lita, at another one of Raye's get-togethers and after that Serena and Raye frequented the restaurant that Lita cooked in, when she wasn't already dining at the restaurant Raye cooked in.

Raye, wearing a strapless red summer dress and some nude wedges, looked up to see Serena in the doorway. "Serena! I'm so glad you could make it!" she greeted as she walked over and gave her best friend a hug. "Thanks for the invite Raye, you look great!" Serena replied. "Not a sexy as you though" Lita joked from behind. Lita was wearing a green spaghetti strap top with a flowy white skirt and brown and gold strapped Greek sandals. "Lita! Hey how are you?" greeted Serena in an attempt to change the subject. Lita smiled and told her about life at the restaurant. "Of course I won't say my complaints in front of the person who pays my rent" Lita teased to Raye. Raye just laughed and returned to preparing dinner. Serena too smiled and headed out towards the backyard where music was still playing. There was a live band and some people were slowly dancing in the middle of the yard. She saw a few people that she recognized and many more that she didn't. In the crowds, she saw another good friend of hers, Ami Wilson. She had met Ami at one of Raye's restaurants as well. She was married to Darien's friend Zachary Wilson. Both were very well-known doctors in New York, Ami as a highly sought after oncologist and Zach as a neurosurgeon. Serena had grown to respect Ami a lot because like herself, she was self-made, very successful, and she was her age.

Serena approached Ami and saw that she was with her husband talking to Jared, Raye's fiancé, and Nate, Lita's boyfriend. Jared was a business man and helped Raye on the business end of running the restaurants. Nate was an engineer working for a high end tech company. "Hi Serena, you look very nice" said Ami with a smile. "Aww thanks Ames, you look super cute too" Serena replied. Amy was wearing black slacks with a white ruffled shirt and white heels.

"Serena?" someone said from behind her. 'Aww crap. I so don't want to deal with this right now…' Serena thought. She turned around and faced him. "Seiya, how are you?" she asked politely. The man, who was slightly taller than her in her heels, simply smiled. He said "I'm alright. How are you? Did you get my message?" Serena was already getting annoyed. "Yeah I did Seiya but you need to realize we aren't together and we will never be again. You need to let me go and move on" she said as politely as possible. To say that Seiya was heartbroken was an understatement. "Are you sure? Why not Sere, we were so good together…" Seiya started. "No Seiya, we were not. You were too possessive and I cannot handle clingy guys. I'm not interested in you" Serena said firmly. Seiya's face fell and he dejectedly said "Alright. I have another engagement, so I'll see you later, Serena" and with that he left her alone. Serena let out a sigh.

"That was a really unprofessional way to break a guy's heart" said a silky deep voice from behind her. Serena froze. Only one man could make her stiffen and melt at the same time. She straightened her back and turned to face the Adonis. "Sometimes being polite just doesn't get through. And I don't believe it was any of your business" she replied. "Touché Ms. Adams, touché" he said. "It seems you are in need of a companion now that your boyfriend isn't in the picture. Mind if I fill his space?" he said with a glint in his eyes. Serena caught on to his double meaning and scoffed "I hardly think you could keep me company, Mr. Shields" she replied. "You shouldn't underestimate me, you never know, we might find something to…talk about" he said while sneaking a glance down her body, spending extra time at her breasts. "Tempting, but I'll have to decline. Gotta go" she said as she pressed her chest out a little more and watched his eyes widen a fraction, and walked away feeling smug inside. "We shall see" he said taking a sip of drink watching Serena's hips rocking from side to side as she walked.

She saw Mina dancing with some guy with white hair on the grass, swaying to the beat of music. Raye approached her and Serena asked "who's that cute guy dancing with Mina?" "He works with Nate. I think Mina invited him over, not exactly sure how they met. So I saw you talking to Darien just now. Is he still being a jerk?" Raye asked. "Not anymore than usual. Still same ole same ole" Serena replied. "You know, once you actually get to know him, he isn't a bad guy. You might even end up liking him". "Raye, he's been trying to get in my pants for a since Mina's birthday. I don't think he wants to get to know me as much as he wants to hit it and quit it" retorted Serena. "Alright, I see your point. Well then, try to get him to chase a relationship then and not your skirt. Challenge him intellectually and you'll see what I mean" and with that Raye walked away.

Serena stared out from the deck and saw people dancing and talking amongst each other. She didn't want to start anything up with that guy. She liked her independence and didn't want anything to take her away from her career. All of a sudden the lights went out! People screamed and started freaking out. Raye yelled out "People it is just a power outage! I'm sure the power will be on in a few minutes. Now, I need some people to light candles around the yard. No point in leaving because I'm sure traffic will be a nightmare with the streetlights out so just chill out for a few". Serena and Amy followed her into the house, wary of where they stepped in case the bumped into someone. The moonlight provided some support.

The found the candles and light them around the house and placed some in the backyard thought it was still pretty dark out there. After about thirty minutes Mina cried out "Hey just cuz the powers out doesn't mean we cannot still have fun! Start up the band!" The band slowly started to play some upbeat music and people got up to dance. She couldn't really make out too many faces but she felt arms on her wrist pulling her towards the dance floor. Her initial reaction was to jerk back but then realized it had to be a friend of Raye's or Mina's and just let it happen. Plus, he wouldn't be able to see her so she couldn't humiliate herself. He twirled her around with her back to his front. Her hips fit perfectly into his hips and they swayed to the music with his arms encircling her and his chin resting on her shoulders. As the music got louder, they started to grind against each other. Luckily it was so dark that they couldn't be seen very well. They started to breathe heavily and got lost to the beat of the music. Serena started to loosen up and let go of all her stressed and let her weight rest them on her partner. From what she could feel, he was very muscular under his shirt and toned thighs and she touched them as she grinded. She could feel his hard abs on her back and could feel something getting harder as she grinded her butt against his hips. The song ended and the band started playing a slower tune.

Her partner turned her around and slid his hands down her waist. She slid her arms above his shoulders into his hair and they swayed to the gentle music. She had her head against his neck and felt him tilt her chin and was about to kiss her when the lights turned on. Serena let go of her dance partner and refocused her eyes as they adjusted to the light. She looks up to see midnight blue eyes looking at her. Her eyes widened and she stepped back away from him. She looked away and swiftly walked towards the exit. She ran into Raye on the way out "Hey Sere, leaving already? The power just came back on" she said. "Hey yeah sorry Raye but it's already past 12 and I have a meeting a client tomorrow. Thanks for the invite, I gotta go! See you later!" she yelled back as she walked down the driveway to her car. She heard hurried footsteps behind her and assumed it was another partier making their way home.

She suddenly felt someone grab her wrist and whip her around, much rougher than before. She looked into his midnight eyes and took a step back. "May I help you, Mr. Shields?" she asked politely, looking at her cell phone to make it seem like she was in a hurry. "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed a little shaken when the lights turned back on. And then your cold exterior came back on" he said with a chuckle. Serena glanced at him coldly, "care to explain that?" she asked. "Well you know, when you shut yourself out and make people think you don't need anyone and that there's nothing wrong with you" he said. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were a shrink to tell me how and what I'm feeling" she said sarcastically. "Back off Shields" she warned "you don't know the first thing about me. I've dealt with men like you and all you want to do is get in my pants. Well hate to tell you but that isn't gonna happen, I'm not one of those easy women who's gonna kneel at your feet. So don't act like you know me that is a despicable thing to do even for you. Now, if you'll excuse me I need to go". And with that she ripped her arm out of his clutches and walked to her car. She scolded herself for being caught in that situation and for having to deal with that jerk. She took off down the street, not realizing that the cause of her terrible mood just watched her drive away. 'I know more than you think, Serena' he thought to himself as he saw the blond take off.

She got home, threw off her shoes, stripped off her clothes not caring where they landed, and crawled into bed. Luna meowed as she jumped onto the bed to comfort her owner. Serena stared at the ceiling and then broke down crying. She released her frustration of letting her shield down, for letting that jerk see her vulnerable, and for being lonely. And with that, she cried herself to sleep.

Hope you enjoyed it! Please Read and Review! Also, if you have any suggestions I might consider them! Have a great day and see you next time


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not worn Sailor Moon

Okay, I know it's been a while since I updated but I've been super busy with summer classes that were much more demanding than I had anticipated. Now that those are over, I have more time to write! Anyway, I hope you like the chapter and please R&R!

* * *

Chapter 3

Serena woke up the next day and went through her morning ritual. She brushed her teeth, took a shower, put her hair into a neat bun, and applied some light make up. She wore a black pencil skirt with a tight forest green blouse and a blazer. She decided to grab something at the local Starbucks, so she left some food for Luna, put on her favorite heels, and walked out of her apartment.

She had expected to see Charlie there but instead saw a different boy looking at her with eyes practically popping out of his sockets, wearing the same uniform that Charlie normally wore. She didn't say anything and he took her down to the first floor and she left the building, walking towards Starbucks. Serena preferred to walk everywhere because she knew driving in the city would be very hectic and she didn't want to pay for the taxi every day. Plus most of the places she needed to go were within walking distance, so she didn't feel the need to bring out her car.

As she was walking, she got a call from Mina. "Hello, Serena?" "Hey Mina, sorry I'm in a rush right now but what's up?" she said. "Oh yeah no problem, I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I saw you leave in a hurry after dancing with Darien, are you okay?" Mina asked. "Yeah I'm good, I just had a meeting I had to get to this morning so had to leave ASAP" Serena said. "Oh okay, sorry for bothering you. Just remember Sere, if you ever need to talk, Raye and I are here" Mina said. "I know. Thanks, Mina" Serena said. And with that both women hung up.

Serena got her coffee and headed for her firm two blocks away. She walked into her office and her secretary Molly came in to debrief her about her agenda for the day. She actually had a meeting with clients starting around 10. Her first client of the day was an Andrew Johnson. He was the son of a wealthy business man and his wife was divorcing him. 'She also seemed to be asking for quite a lot in spousal support', Serena thought.

Around 10, a handsome blonde with green eyes walked into her office. She shook his hand and saw that he had also been affected by her looks if his agape mouth and wide eyes were any indication. "Did my wife finally kill me? I came to see a lawyer and found an angel instead" he said he said with a wink. Serena rolled her eyes, "Nice to meet you Mr. Johnson, no you're in the right room and I'm your lawyer. And if you hit on me again, your wife will be the least of your concerns" she said as she sat down, with absolutely no laughter in her voice. Her tone caused Andrew to straighten up and drop his charming-guy personality. He knew a lost cause when he saw one. "Nice to meet you as well Ms. Adams. Thank you for helping me against my wife" he said. "Whoa slow down there Mr. Johnson, I haven't agreed to anything other than to listen to your side of the story first. I'll make my decision afterward" she said. "So why don't you tell me what happened" she added. "Okay, well Beryl and I were married for four years and dated for nine months before that. Anyway, after we got married I fully expected her to quit her job, have a few kids, and ya know, live like a normal celebrity housewife, hosting parties and afternoon teas etc." he said with a chuckle "it was my mistake to even think that. Anyway, being a model, she didn't want to have children any time soon. She failed to tell me that before we got married, especially since she knew I wanted children. I guess we didn't really talk about a lot of things before we got married. We only dated for about 9 months before I proposed to her. After the first year or so, we drifted apart. I started spending more time with the company seeing that my father is going to step down soon as CEO. A couple of months ago, I came home early for our anniversary to find her in bed with one of the male models she worked with. God I couldn't even believe that she forgot our anniversary. But Beryl never married me because she loved me, she wanted the fame, name, and power" he said. "She did not marry you for the money?" Serena asked. "No, like I said, she is a model. She makes a lot of money. She's demanding spousal support from me in order to ruin the company. Kind of like a revenge because that's what she initially wanted from me" he said. "Well, seeing that she was the cause of break up in the relationship, I am sure I can reduce the amount you have to pay her" she said. It made Andrew smile at the idea of winning against Beryl.

"Thank you so much, Ms. Adams" he said as he stood. Serena stood up as well and held her hand out. They shook hands and Andrew began to walk out of her office. He stood at the door and looked back and said "Are you sure I cannot interest you with some lunch?" Serena gave him a pointed look. "Mr. Johnson, I do not give threats lightly" she said. Andrew put his hands in the air in surrender "Point taken. Just thought I'd give it another shot" he said laughingly as he walked out. Serena almost smiled at his retreating back but instead she sat back down and prepared for the next meeting of the day.

Around 1, Molly came into her office. "Ms. Adams, you haven't had lunch yet. Would you like for me to get you something?" she said. Serena looked up to Molly and heard her own stomach growling, causing Serena to blush sheepishly. "Thanks Molly, that'd be great" she replied. Molly knew all her likes and dislikes since she had been working for her since she opened up her own firm.

Serena really admired Molly in her ability to be so sensitive towards others. However, Serena knew that people would often take advantage of Molly's kind nature, so she kept her as her secretary. This way, Serena hoped that her own independent and aloof nature might influence Molly to be less kind and perhaps lessen the chances of her being taken advantage of. Molly proved to be a very effective worker, which Serena appreciated very much. She would be lost without her to be honest, and it was a plus that Molly was a woman and wasn't ogling her all the time like a past male secretary had done. Serena noticed that many men were insecure about having a woman as their boss, but as she began to become more popular in the court system, they readily joined her firm. She personally handled the more prestigious clients because they sought her firm out for a reason, her.

Molly came back 20 minutes later with a Turkey and avocado sandwich, Serena's favorite. Serena may come off as a huge snob some of the times, but she actually liked non-rich people food like subway sandwiches, theater popcorn, hotdogs and corndogs. Growing up, her father tried to make sure that Serena wasn't just another rich kid but actually aware of the value of money. After he died, his will revealed that he had left money for Serena but she wasn't allowed to access it until she was 30. 'I guess he never anticipated that he wouldn't always be around' she thought. Whatever money she did receive upon his death, she spent it paying for college and that's about it. Her father's family was full of vultures and they had all wanted a piece of his money. Upon learning that they wouldn't receive a dime, they began pestering her mother and playing kiss-ass until she helped them out with money. Once Serena became a lawyer, she pushed her family back and made sure they wouldn't be allowed to touch her father's money ever again. Her mother had just been too generous a person to realize how terribly those people were using her for her father's money.

Serena continued seeing clients for the next few hours and around 4, Mina walked in. "Mina! What are you doing here?" Serena said. "Oh nothing, I called earlier and your secretary said you were free after 4, I thought I'd drop by" she said, sitting across from Serena. "Traitor!" she yelled out of her office for Molly to hear and she heard a giggle in response. "Oh lighten up Sere, it's not like you have stuff to do" Mina said rolling her eyes and smiling at the same time. "Don't assume things Mina, for all you know, I could have a meeting with a prince any minute now" she said with a huff and smile. "Well then, His-Royal-Highass will have to wait his turn. Now, what happened between you and Darien" she said, causing the conversation to turn serious all of a sudden. Serena ceased to smile and stared at Mina. "Nothing happened" "Bullshit! Serena, I know you and I also know my cousin. Now tell me what's going on, I don't want you to get hurt" Mina interrupted. "Look, Mina I can understand your concern but nothing is going on and nothing will ever happen. You know I don't put dating before my career. So, just drop it" Serena said with a stern look. Mina continued to look at Serena, hoping to see any glance of Serena giving in. She didn't see one. She released a sigh. "Okay Sere, if you don't want to talk about it, we won't. But I want you to come to me if he hurts you. I see what he does with other women and I don't want you to become like that" she said with a voice of concern. 'I know Mina, neither do I' Serena thought.

Then Serena remembered something. "Hey wait you big hypocrite, you failed to mention the tall dark and handsome guy with white hair last night!" Serena yelled. Mina was modest enough to turn a beet red and said "What about him?" meekly. "Oh don't act all innocent with me missy, I saw the way you were moving on him. Now spill" Serena said. "Alright alright, his name is Michael and he's an engineer. He works with Nate. Omgosh Sere, he is so amazing. We met a few weeks back, Lita and Nate brought him to one of my plays. The minute I saw him…I just couldn't stop thinking about him" she said with a far-away look. "Whoa there Mina, don't get too in over your head. You barely know this guy and you're already daydreaming about him? Has he even asked you on a date yet?" Serena said, trying to pull Mina back into reality. "Well no… but I don't know Sere, there's just something about him. I know I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but I've never felt like this before!" Mina retorted. "Oh god Mina don't say you're in love with him! Especially not before even going on a date!" Serena yelled. Serena disliked the idea of love because it was too irrational and Serena did not like being out of control of her emotions. Of course she wouldn't let Mina know that a dark blue-eyed someone was making her feel somewhat similar to what Mina was feeling with Michael. "I'm not saying I'm in love with him, I'm just saying I'm interested. There, happy?" Mina said. Serena just continued to look at Mina and Mina rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, we are going shopping!" Mina exclaimed. "Shopping, what for?" cried Serena. "For clubbing, duhhhh. You ran out way too early last night, so Raye, Lita, and I have decided to take you out clubbing tonight" she replied. "No way! This isn't fair, I'll be like a… seventh wheel! I know you're going to bring Michael along and I'm not going to spend the night with the six of you being all lovey-dovey" Serena yelled. "Oh come on Serena, don't spoil it! We want you to go out, and who knows, maybe you'll meet someone" "But Mina, I don't want to meet someone. I don't want a relationship right now" Serena said. "Okay well maybe you can find somebody to at least relieve your sexual tension cuz girl it shows that you haven't gotten laid in some time" Mina said.

Serena turned red with a mixture of embarrassment and anger "That is none of your business!" she said. Mina sighed "Look Sere, we just don't want you to be alone. Just for you, the six of us will cool it for today so that you won't feel left out. And no arguments" she added when she saw Serena about to retort. "We just want you to be happy and try as you might to convince us that you are happy, I know you want a little something else" Mina pleaded with Serena. Serena let out a sigh. "Look Mina, I know you guys are worried about me, but honestly I'm fine. I really appreciate the offer but not tonight okay? I have a super busy weekend filled with lots of work. Next time I promise" she said. "You always say that Sere!" Mina whined. "This time I swear I won't go back on my word" Serena replied. "Well, okay then. I have your words, Adams" Mina said. "Anyway, I gotta go meet Raye at the mall. I wish you come Sere" she said while picking up her Dolce and Gabbana purse. "I know but we'll go shopping next time. I'll even let you pick out some of my clothes" Serena replied knowing that Mina loved dressing her up. Mina squealed and said "Deal!" and with that she headed out the door with a wave and goodbye to Serena.

Serena continued to look at the door Mina had just walked out of and then turned to look out of the window of her office. It looked onto the street and she could see a small family of three walking by, a man and a woman with a very young little girl with red hair. She couldn't have been older than 4. The sight made Serena's eyes start to water and she remembered her own father. Serena hated lying to her friends but she didn't like to show her sensitive side to anyone. This weekend was actually the anniversary of her father's passing and she was flying back to California to see her family so they could visit her father's grave.

As she continued to stare out of the window, she remembered a conversation she had had with her father when she was very young.

*begin flashback*

_Serena was around 6 years old and her father, Ken, had taken her out for some ice cream. He had been busy with work that he hadn't had time for her, so this was their father-daughter bonding time. Serena was enjoying a strawberry ice cream on a cone and her father was holding her hand as they walked to the park from the ice-cream parlor. _

_When they got to the park, they sat on a bench as Serena finished her ice cream and they looked out at all the other occupants in the park enjoying a perfectly nice summer day. "Are you enjoying your ice cream, Sweetheart?" he asked, looking down at Serena who had pink ice cream all over her mouth. "Mhm, it's really good daddy" she said while continuing to lick the cone. _

_After Serena finished eating her treat and was wiped her face clean with her father's handkerchief, she looked up at her father and asked, "Daddy, why did those scary people come to our house last night?" Ken looked down at his daughter a little shocked but then he chuckled. His little girl was a very bright one. "Do you know what my job is, Serena?" he asked. "You're a lawyer, right Daddy?" she replied. "That's right honey. My job as a lawyer is to help people who have been wronged" he continued. "What does that mean?" Serena asked. Ken thought for a moment. "A person who is blamed for something he or she didn't do or to help someone who has been hurt by other people" he replied. "Oh. Why do people hurt other people, Daddy?" she asked. "Serena, you're a little young to understand this right now but when you're older you'll meet good people and some people who aren't so good. It'll be your job to distinguish the good from the bad. The people who hurt other people are just bad people, honey" he replied. "I don't want to meet bad people, Daddy" she cried. "Oh honey don't cry, I promise I'll protect you from those bad people" he said while holding his daughter close until she stopped crying. Serena eventually calmed down and returned to her cheery nature. They then walked back to the car and went home._

*end flashback*

Serena returned from her memories and looked away from the window. Her father had stay true to his word until the day he died, and then he was taken away by the bad people. It was because of her father that she had initially been interested in studying law and his death had fueled her quest to become a powerful lawyer, just like him, so that she could bring him to justice. Serena left her office after packing up and walked back home, unaware that a pair of eyes had been following her.

* * *

Hope you liked the chapter. I promise to have the next chapter up in the next couple of weeks! Hope you review this chapter and please feel free to leave me any suggestions, I really do consider them. I also welcome some constructive criticism Anyway, til next time!


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